Crowds at Faneuil Hall Marketplace were more colorful than usual on Wednesday as fans donned costumes of their favorite characters from comic books, video games, TV series, movies, and web sites for the first-ever Boston Comic Con Costume Contest.
The contest and parade around Quincy Market served as a preview for the 7th annual convention for comic book and science fiction fans taking place Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 3 – 4, at the Seaport World Trade Center.
Crowds at Faneuil Hall Marketplace were more colorful than usual on Wednesday as fans donned costumes of their favorite characters from comic books, video games, TV series, movies, and web sites for the first-ever Boston Comic Con Costume Contest.
The contest and parade around Quincy Market served as a preview for the 7th annual convention for comic book and science fiction fans taking place Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 3 – 4, at the Seaport World Trade Center.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Costumed fans mingled with the usual mix of shoppers, tourists, and downtown workers outside Dick’s Last Resort, a co-host of the contest.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Wrentham resident Jarred Lorusso, 16, looked uncannily like Matt Smith, the Eleventh Doctor in the popular “Doctor Who” franchise.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Brandon Hoots, 15, said he was only partially in costume as the character Rintarou Okabe from the game “Steins;Gate.”
His friend Lucas Jandreau, 16, went all out to become Dave Strider from the web comic “Heinoustuck.” Jandreau won the second prize in the costume contest for his efforts. Both teens live in Dracut.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Jessie Farris, left, sister, Kendra of Medfield and others marched around Quincy Market during the Boston Comic Con Costume Contest.
Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff
AAA
Finalists Mike Balestra, left, James Gamble, Mark Sylvia, Luras Jandreau and Aidan King appeared onstage at Dick's Last Resort in Quincy Market, where 20 people took part in the Boston Comic Con Costume Contest.
Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff
AAA
Nick Kanieff, 49, the founder of Boston Comic-Con, watched as costume contest director Amy Fletcher struck a pose.
Kanieff, who lives in Framingham, said the most exciting thing about this year’s convention was the lineup of celebrity guests, including actors Kristin Bauer van Straten from “True Blood,” Laurie Holden from “The Walking Dead,” and “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” stars Aidan Turner and Dean O’Gorman.
Other guests include author Joe Hill and comic-book creators Steve Niles, Mike Mignola, and George Perez.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
The contest had more than one Doctor Who: 10-year-old Christian Fernandez of Salem also came dressed as the time-traveling humanoid alien.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Newton’s Melody McGlame, 18, came to Faneuil Hall dressed as Wanda Maximoff, Scarlet Witch of the Avengers. She took third place in the costume contest.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Malden resident Abigail Fisk, 17, and Shannon Wilson, 20, who lives in Somerville, swore they never met before Wednesday, but they became fast friends when both showed up dressed as a twisted Alice in Wonderland from the video game “American McGee’s Alice.”
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Woburn residents Steven Trimarchi, 19, and Ashley Strazzulla, 29, dressed as Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno of the manga series “Naruto.”
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Veronica Levy, 20, of Middleton, dressed as Terra, a former member of the Teen Titans.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Jesse Farris, 14, dressed as Asuna from the Japanese light novel series “Sword Art Online,” while big sister Kendra Farris, 17, dressed as protagonist Rin Okumura from the manga series “Blue Exorcist.”
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Pembroke residents Kayla Lithgow and Erin O’Leary, both 15, suited up to play Hannibal Lecter — the version played by Mads Mikkelsen in the current NBC TV series — and Rorschach from the comic book and film “The Watchmen.”
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
West End resident Anya Eacmen, 20, donned a green wig — she promised it wasn’t her real hair — to become Ramona Flowers from the Scott Pilgrim comic-book series and film.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Eighteen-year-old Brenda Lee of Quincy said she was dressed as a female version of the Jack Frost character from the “Rise of the Guardians” film.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Javier Perez Jr., 25, showed off his martial arts skills while dressed appropriately as Sub-Zero — “the original Sub-Zero,” the Hyde Park resident specified — from the game “Mortal Combat.”
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Amy Fletcher, director of the contest, compared notes on wearing black pleather in July with Wolverine lookalike James Gamble, 27, of Fitchburg. Gamble said he usually wears a full beard, but he shaves away portions to transform himself into the adamantium-skeletoned mutant.
Fletcher, 36, lives in Lowell and works at Harrison’s Comics in Manchester, N.H. She emphasized that she was not in costume; this is her everyday look.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
The costume parade took some Faneuil Hall visitors by surprise.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Javier Perez Jr., at right, marched alongside Dedham resident Mike Balestra, 18, who dressed as
Ezio Auditore da Firenze from the “Assassin’s Creed” video game series.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Mark Sylvia, 21, of Bridgewater, wore the elaborate body armor of Master Chief from the “Halo” book series and took first place in the contest.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
Jessica Kaercher, 42, a visitor from Latham, N.Y., paused to watch the parade.
“I think it’s awesome,” Kaercher said. “I think it’s great for kids to love reading, and it’s exciting to see them passionate about something positive, artistic.
Jeremy C Fox/Your Town Correspondent
AAA
- Home
- Today's Globe
- News
- Business
- Sports
- Lifestyle
- A&E
- Things to Do
- Travel
- Cars
- Jobs
- Real Estate
- Local Search
- Contact Boston.com
- Help
- Advertise
- Work Here
- Privacy Policy
- Your Ad Choices
- Terms of Service
- Mobile
- RSS Feeds
- Sitemap
- Contact the Boston Globe
- Subscribe
- Manage Your Subscription
- Advertise
- Boston Globe Insiders
- The Boston Globe Gallery
- © 2013 NY Times Co.
